Thumb-carried blotter-pad.



PATENTED 00T. 1, 1907.

No. 867,479. y

I. I. GHILDRESS. THUMB CARRIED BLOTTER PAD.

rrLmATIoN FILED Nov a 1906 Witwe/som @AMW J. www* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

THUMB'-CARRIED BLOTTER-PAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907.

Application filed November 3, 1906.V Serial No. 341,917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK P. CHILDREss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thumb-Carried Blotter-Pads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a blotter-pad for attachment to the thumb of a penman for use while writing. v The object of the invention is to provide a small blotter-pad for absorbing superfluous ink from pen writing and constructed to admit of readily renewing the eX- posed piece of blotting paper, and also having means for attachment'to the thumb of the same hand that holds the pen without interfering with the free use of the hand for writing. A blotter pad of this character is useful and convenient for commercial book-keepers.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which,

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved blotter-pad. Fig. 2 is a top view of the metal plate separated from the other parts. Fig. 3 is a view of the presser or clip which holds the end of the blotting paper. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the pad and the hand of a penman showing the pad attached to the thumb.

It will be understood that a blotter-pad to be carried on the thumb must be a small affair and of a size that will not interfere with handling the pen in the operation of writing. v

The letter, A, designates a metal plate having a loophandle, b, for attachment to the thumb of a persons hand. By preference the loop-handle has position nearer to one end of the metal plate, for a purpose to be presently described, and the loop is formed from the metal of the plate and is integral therewith; a slot, c, is cut in the plate to form a strip of which one end, bf, remains attached to the plate. This strip is then bent upward to form the loop-handle, b. The slot may remain open. One or more small sheets of blotting paper, f, are carried on the lower surface of the plate, and the ends of this paper are folded as shown at, f1. The plate, A, has four ears, d, formed in any suitable manner from the material ofthe plate; each ear has a pivot hole.

A clip or presser device is provided to hold each of the folded ends, f1, of the blotting paper, and this clip is pivoted to two of said ears, d. In the presentinstance the clip comprises a bar, g, extending crosswise and pivoted in the holes of two ears, d, so as to allow the bar to swing up and down, and to press down upon the folded ends, f1, of the paper'. The opposite ends of the clip bars, g, project beyond the side edges of the paper and the plate so as to enable the bar to be readily grasped at opposite ends for the purpose of releasing or gripping the folded edges of the paper. The plate is also provided with spring fingers, e, preferably two fingers at each end of the plate. These may be formed in any preferred way.

The spring-lingers, e, bear upon the cross-bar, g, and thus the pivotedl cross-bar, and the spring-fingers constitute the clip or presser device. As shown in Fig. l, two pivoted cross-bars, g, are used, one at each end of the plate.

It will be seen that the construction described will securely hold the folded ends, f1, of the blotting paper, and the blotter-pad is then in operative condition.

When it is desired to renew the blotting paper, it is only necessary to pull the old paper from the clips and then grasp the projecting ends of one of the clip bars and raise the same against the action of the spring fingers, e, so as to insert the end of the fresh paper under the cross-bar clips, g, while the latter is held raised. After thus securing one end the paper is then folded over the adjacent end of the plate, A, and across the lower surface thereof, and finally folded over the other end of the plate and by raising the other cross-bar clip pass the ends of the paper under the latter clip.

The manner of holding (the blotter-pad from the thumb while writing with an ordinary pen is shown in Fig. 4.

The use of this blotter pad will enable a person to blot his writing with ease and facility and without laying down the pen or using the other hand.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the thumb loop, b, has position nearer to one end of the plate. The object of thus locating this loop is to enable the plate to be carried by the thumb in such a position as to have only a small portion of the plate projecting beneath the thumb or hand where it would be in the way, while the larger portion of said plate will project outwardly and away from the thumb. By this construction a plate of sufficient surface can be employed without interfering with the freedom of the hand.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. A` thumb blotter pad comprising a plate having a strip punched from the center thereof and bent into a loop to receive the thumb of the hand, a clip bar at each end of the plate and said clip bars having their ends projecting beyond the side edges of said plate, spring fingers punched from said plate and having their ends resting upon the clip bars, and blotting paper extending beneath the lower surface of the plate and having its ends folded over the opposite ends of the plate and clamped by the bars and held by means of the spring fingers :nul .said l() clip-bars. paper passing beneath the lower surface of the plaie.

2. A thumb blotter pad comprising a metal plate having In testimony whereof I :ilx in v signature in presenw a longitudinal strip punched from its central portion and of two witnesses. bent into a loop which has position nearer to one end of x the plate, clip bars pivoted tothe plate at opposite ends FREDERICK l" ('uumhh'g of said looped strip, spring fingers formed integrally with Witnesses: the plate and having their free end restingr on said clip G. FERDINAND Vom?,

bars, and blotting paper having its ends beneath the clip CHAs. B. MANN, 

